Click here to read: “DA investigates alleged misconduct by Devon Prep priest,” by Pete Bannan, Journal Register News Service, November 26, 2011
Click here to read: “DA investigates alleged misconduct by Devon Prep priest,” by Pete Bannan, Journal Register News Service, November 26, 2011
Juicy Fruit has his head in the sand! This is just an other example of the complete “dumbness” of the parisshioners or priests, nuns and brothers. They have been so brainwashed over the generations. they no longer have rational minds to think with.
Look what a secular College like Penn State is doing to combat one miserable person who has hood-winked the entire staff of Penn State for decades, regarding the sexual abuse of our most innocent.They have taken a moral stand. Not a monetary one.
They thought they needed to cover it up for the reputation of the school. But they chose to go by a HIGHER STANDARD than the RCC. They have fired the President of the college, the coaches and the predator and taken it to the authorities where it belongs. Not the RCC, they just try more DIVERSIONS , such as getting the peoiple ALL RILED up over the changes in the mass. What a crock of bs. But the RCC is right! The people are “dumbed DOWN”!
The Hierarachy of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH has done this same cover up and movIng PRIESTS,, NUNS AND BROTHERS around from place to place for millenium(s) to protect their CRININAL CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. Which are right now being taken care of, as we speak,, in the INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT. IN THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS …The POPE and his COHORTS are being sued there by SNAP. Thank You Jesus.
Gloria, I agree with your observation about the comment made by “Juicy Fruit” on the newspaper’s comment section for Devon Prep article. Sadly for all Catholics, the continuing child sexual abuse problems and the related cover-ups start at the top.
Today, the pope spoke in Rome to NY bishops, as representatives of all US bishops, and made pointed reference to the US Church’s “honest” and “conscientious” efforts to assure the safety of children. This is not supported by the US bishops’ efforts on the ground. Moreover, the pope has yet to order all bishops mandatorily to report sexual abuse promptly to the police in those cases where local laws do not require them to report, which worldwide is most cases.
The pope today overlooked mentioning the US Bishops’ failure two weeks ago to publicly address at their national conference in Batimore the abuse crisis and, of course, the pope never mentioned the Philly Archdiocese scandals.
If interested in viewing the pope’s full remarks, the pope’s remarks are accessible under today’s (11/26/11) listing under “Full Text-Pope Benedict XVI’s Remarks to US bishops.” by clicking on at:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTracker/
You might also try clicking on directly to the Vatican link at:
http://www.oecumene.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=541079
I read the Pope’s statement complimenting the US bishops on their abuse crisis efforts. The statement neglected to mention that the Vatican instructed the bishops when putting together the Dallas Charter, NOT to make the ‘reporting requirements regarding abuse to civil authorities’ ESSENTIAL…Church speak for a Roman ‘pass’ on reporting.
And the bishop’s State Catholic Conferences, read lobbying arms, have worked hard, where possible to weaken or eviscerate individual State’s abuse reporting requirements.
In Maryland, the Catholic Conference managed to eliminate the mandatory reporting requirement for EVERYONE, so that normally ‘mandated reporters’ like teachers, social workers etc now ‘may’ report abuse…all this in an effort to make ‘clergy’ reporting optional, too!
And yet folks who don’t know the facts may see today’s Vatican
statement in a positive light.
Jerry, awhile back you commented on some federally ‘protected class’s of folks. I would like some lawyerly input on what the Feds can do to protect innocent children from abuse? Have a feeling you know!
Thanks, Joan, you are right that the pope’s remarks may mislead many Catholics into thinking he was really interested in making all bishops really accountable. His remarks appear to have been drafted carefully to create that misimpression.
I have earlier today circulated a detailed e-mail to religion journalists and pundits et al. in the US and Europe to try to correct this. In the past many of the journalists have indicated they read my e-mails.
As to what the Federal government can do, they can do a great deal with new legislation and an aggressive Department of Justice prosecutorial effort. They are already involved in the prosecution of the child pornographer priest in the KC Finn case and in the Penn State case.
New Federal laws are needed aimed specifically at protecting all American children, with no statutes of limitation.
With the US presidential election next November, now is the time to begin to press for additional Federal laws, while continuing to press hard for the more imminent State legislation, especially in PA.
Federal prosecutors are also less prone to local political pressure as has apparently occurred with some PA state prosecutors in the Penn State case at times earlier.
Thanks, again Jerry….How would a federally mandated abuse reporting requirement work….That Maryland situation sticks in my craw!
If you can federally open the statutes of limitation, why not federally require mandated reporting? IS there a Church /State conflict?
Joan, there is no Church/state issue.
The Federal government has the concurrent authority, along with the states, to protect children in all ways that are necessary, including mandatory reporting. To date, Federal politicians have lacked the will due principally to the political strength of the lobbys of the Catholic Church, teachers unions, etc.
The focus of legal reformers to date has been on particular state legislatures where openings for reform laws arose. In my view, the confluence of Penn State’s scandal and a US presidential race create a perfect storm scenario to enact comprehensive Federal legislation finally to protect all American children from sexual predators and their enablers. I am confident it can be done legally and constitutionally.
My interest right now is to try to generate pressure on national politicians. For now, I leave the actual legislative proposals to other lawyers, who are more experienced in child abuse legal matters, some of whom may stand to gain by the potential increase in victims’ lawsuits.
Until Penn State, few thought the Federal government would ever act here; but the post-Penn State uproar is changing the political perception of what is feasible with Federal law reform in the child sexual abuse
area.
Deven Prep. Piarists Fathers. Interesting. I’ve never heard of the Piarists, so I think I’ll Google them. I’ll bet they’re interesting, and I want to learn something about them.
The Piarists order was founded by Joseph Calasanz (St. Joseph Calasanctius). The Holy See recognized it as a religious congregation in 1617, and made it a religious order in 1621. The order’s main ministry is the education of children and youth.
“In 1642, as a result of an internal crisis in the congregation and outside intrigues and pressures, Calasanz [the order’s founder] was briefly held and interrogated by the Inquisition. Problems were exacerbated, however, by Fr. Stefano Cherubini, originally headmaster of the Piarist school in Naples why systematically sexually abused the pupils in his care. Fr. Cherubini made no secret about at least some of his transgressions, and Calasanz came to know of them. Unfortunately for Calasanz as administrator of the order, Fr. Cherubini was the son and the brother of powerful papal lawyers; no one wanted to offend the Cherubini family. Fr. Cherubini pointed out that if allegations of his abuse of his [school] boys became public, actions would be taken to destroy the Piarists. Calasanz therefore promoted Fr. Cherubini, to get him away from the scene of the crime, citing only his luxurious diet and failure to attend prayers. However, [Calasanz] knew what Fr. Cherubini had really been up to, and he wrote that the sole aim of the plan … ‘is to cover up this great shame in order that it does not come to the notice of our superiors’. Superiors in Rome found out, but bowed to the same family ties that had bound Calasanz. Fr. Cherubini became visitor-general for the Piarists, able to conduct himself just as he wanted in any school he visited.” Calasanz went on to be made a saint.
Interesting, indeed.
Gloria, I feel you, as they say!! I agree one hundred times. The only way we will make any change in our church is to start over!!!!!
Thank you to HadIt. Why am I not surprised!!
Thank you Jerry for your wonderful links.
What is it about our faith that keeps us here, hoping, blogging for real change???
We left the RCC 10 yrs ago in .2001 on our 50th Wedding Anniv.After 60 yrs as Roman Catholics.
Our faith is stronger than it’s ever been and we will never go back to being brainwashed again. We can’t even go into a Catholic Church anymore!
When you see people just acting like nothing is happening, in our world of the innocents, who have been delibertly and savagely raped and humilated by a Superior BEING,(so they tell you) representing Jesus Christ here on earth .It sickens us as it should sicken every mother and father in this world, to do do something about it. But they just stay as though they will die if they leave. They will have a judgement harsher than most, if they do nothing and stay
iF we hadn’t confessed our sins to these men, we would HAVE GONE directly to God when we were sorry for our sins. But we went to them (inferior individuals just as we ) THEIR VOWS DO NOT MAKE THEM ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE HEAD OF A HOUSEHOLD. WHO BIBLICALLY SPEAKING, IS THE PRIEST OF HIS HOME.
THEY HAVE NO POWER THAT GOD DID NOT GIVE TO ALL OF US WHEN WE BELIEVE IN HIM, the proper way. From our hearts .
. Our Faith WILL grow greater when we put OUR HEARTS ON EMPHASISING HIM, instead. of a Hierarachy of priestly men that mean no good to the precious innocents that have been sexually abused ,.This includes Nuns and Brothers who have also sexually and physically abused our neediest…..”Crimes Against Humanity” is what it’s called.
We must have and want a relationship with the Maker of Heaven and Earth!
.Remember Job did everything right, but God tested him. He finally, after losing EVERYTHING!! He said “I knew OF You but I never really KNEW YOU! “. NOW I KNOW YOU! God called Job to HIMSELF
You are not entitled…you are called by HIM!
Gloria, your talk of God and spirituality truly touches me. You really do get it on so many levels. You are blessed to have such insight. If only many more people could grasp what you hold so dear in your heart. A mature connection with God!
Vicky, thank you….I truly wish more people would grasp the enormity of our God. God has blessed you with, as you said “a mature connection with God!”The KIng of Kings and the Lord of Lords Keep up the encouraging words to all who love and believe in the Saviour of our World.The enemy is powerful but Nothing compares to the POWER OF God’s children’s prayers.HE TRULY HEARS OUR PRAYERS TO HIM, THE ONLY SOVREIGN GOD,who died for us on the cross. HE has risen and we are saved. ALLEUIA!
The priest was exonerated by the law enforcement. Perhaps you’d like to reenact the crucifixion? We have a Constitution. It applies to everyone. Laity and religious alike.
RJS if you would take a minute you would see that we posted an article when this priest was cleared by law enforcment.No interest in reencating the crucifixion just trying to give respect and support to the victims and protect children.
What victims? There was no crime.
Victims and children in general RJS, all that have suffered in the church…you are aware of those victims? In this case the priest was cleared by law enforcment….good enough for me. Are you aware of the public school teacher who was accused,arrested in front of his family and suspended for one year before he was officially cleared -his case went to court. This article about the Devon Prep priest being published in the newspaper is the same that would happen to any individual accused of harming a child …accused..not necessarily guilty. I think priests should be treated no better or worse when in similar situations,just as any citizen would be treated . I agree with you,we have a Constituion and it applies to everyone,fair is fair,no special treatment for clergy or anyone.
It is interesting because this past July the financial officer of the Archdiocese was fired for possibly embezzling up to a few hundred thousand dollars from the Archdiocese. She has yet to be formally charged or arrested but was already fired and her name all over the newspaper. Innocent until proven guilty though ….right? And technically never even charged yet. I don’t see many people coming to her defense or being upset about her name being in the paper or being fired without being criminally charged. It is interesting.